In an interview given to the media Car Motor and SportFormula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has highlighted an important issue arising from the Monaco Grand Prix, which could trigger substantial regulatory changes in upcoming races.
An unsportsmanlike tire change?
At the last Monaco GP, a red flag was raised on the first lap following the accident between Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez, which prompted the vast majority of drivers to carry out their obligatory tire change much earlier than planned. . Indeed, the current regulations allow drivers to change tires after an interruption of the race.
This adjustment, dictated by the sudden break, had the effect of transforming the race into a “processional” event, stripping it of its strategic depth and dynamism, with competitors no longer having opportunities to gain positions during the pit stops, which remains the best chance, in Monaco, to progress in the hierarchy.
Not only did this put drivers who chose to try something different and start on hard tires at a disadvantage, forcing them to cover the entire race distance on medium tires, but it also eliminated any danger that could arise from the execution of pit stops and strategy in general, like what Daniel Ricciardo experienced in 2016. Another perverse effect, no one wanting to take the risk of losing positions with a new stop, everyone tried to Save your rubber as much as possible, thus adopting a very slow pace.
Pilots in unison
Across the board, drivers lamented that the first-lap red flag killed any sort of strategic play.
“After the red flag our strategy was ruined as we had to take the medium all the way because everyone had a free stop and that meant we had to save a lot”said Verstappen, sixth. “I just tried to follow George and we were so behind trying to manage the tires. It’s pretty boring out there, literally driving at half throttle on the straights in some places.”
Lando Norris, fourth, added: “There’s just nothing you can do, especially with the red flag at the start, I think it ruined any other opportunities that could have come my way with strategy and tire economy, so a bit of a shame.”
Domenicali expressed his concerns about such scenarios where the essence of the competition and the unpredictability of the races are compromised. He explained: “This year we have a red flag on the first lap, and everyone has already automatically made their pit stop. Something like this should not happen to us again. We need to better anticipate such scenarios and use the rules to deal with them. This concerns us all.
The implications of this incident go beyond a single race. Domenicali’s comment highlights a broader commitment by Formula 1 governance to refine and revise current regulations protecting against race-disrupting events like early red flags. Several drivers also highlighted the problem of red flags caused during qualifying by injured drivers, calling for a penalty to be applied to the driver at fault for the “prejudice” he brings to other competitors, who thus see an attempt aborted. or even lose the benefit of a good time.
We remember the Monaco qualification in 2021, where Charles Leclerc obtained pole but after suffering a crash in the last minute of Q3 at the Piscine chicane, precipitating the end of the session and not allowing his rivals to possibly beat his time. This was obviously not intentional, and Leclerc paid dearly for it by not taking part in the race the next day after his Ferrari failed on the grid lap, but the frustration is legitimate on the side of the cheated drivers.
Domenicali insisted on the need to have rules designed to preserve “the integrity and appeal of the race by ensuring that strategic elements of the race, such as pit stops, retain their essential role in the competition.” He also took the opportunity to call for clarification and simplification of sanctions.
“The rules are generally too complicated. Also on a sporting level. Nobody understands the sanction system. Simpler rules are a task that the Formula 1 Commission has set itself and wants to create proposals. It is already too much complicated for the teams. Can you imagine what this means for the spectator? In my role, I have to watch the sport with the eyes of the public.
In the future, potential regulatory changes triggered by this incident could involve changes to the way races are controlled in the event of a red flag, particularly regarding the timing and execution of pit stops. Such adjustments would aim to preserve variability in race strategy and ensure that each race remains equally competitive from start to finish, despite unforeseen interruptions.
